Cupcake Jemma: Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot cake has always been one of my favourites — whether it’s a loaf, a layer cake, or cute little cupcakes. So when I spotted Cupcake Jemma’s carrot cake cupcakes on YouTube, I knew I had to give them a try! They’re soft, lightly spiced, and packed with grated carrot and walnuts, then topped with the creamiest cream cheese icing.

If you’re a fan of classic bakes with a twist, these cupcakes are a must-try — simple to make, full of flavour, and perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients:

For the Cupcake Batter:

• 2 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup of ground walnuts (or pecans)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup of caster sugar
• 300ml sunflower oil
• 3 cups of grated carrot

Ingredients:

For the Buttercream Icing:

• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 240g full-fat cream cheese
• 840g icing sugar, sifted

Method:

For the Cupcake Batter:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. Firstly add all dry ingredients to a large bowl (so flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and walnuts (or pecans)) and mix together with a whisk, leave to one side for now.
3. In a stand mixer add the caster sugar and 4 large eggs to a bowl. On a low speed to start with - mix until it looks light and mousse-like - this should take a minute or so.
4. On a low speed, gradually add the sunflower oil until it is all incorporated into the egg/sugar mixture.
5. Stop the mixer and add the grated carrot. Now mix briefly on a low speed until everything comes together - 30 seconds will do.
6. You can now add the dry ingredients all at once. Mix until incorporated - again takes about a minute or so.
7. Using an ice cream scoop (or batter scoop) or by adding the mixture to a measuring jug. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. I managed to get 18 with my mixture but some of my cases were rather full so I think you could manage 24 (so 2 full trays).
8. Bake in the oven for 20-24 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

For the Buttercream Icing:

1. Add 150g of unsalted, softened butter and 240g of full-fat cream cheese to the mixing bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes.
2. Stop the mixer and add half of the icing sugar (so 420g) and mix on a slow speed to start with for 2-3 minutes - you can gradually increase the speed once the icing sugar has started to mix in.
3. Repeat step 2 for the last 420g of icing sugar.
4. The icing should be white and fluffy when ready.
5. Decorate the cupcakes how you wish.

Note: Cupcake Jemma used a spoonula to decorate ... I used a spoon and got the same result. She said you can use a pallet knife or a piping bag but I thought the icing was too soft to pipe so didn't bother with that.